The 9:30 club and the Black Cat’s mainstages are far from the only stages in town worth your attention. Next month, venture out to one of D.C.’s other venues to see these smaller (and cheaper!) shows.
Feb. 8 — Veronica Falls @ Black Cat Backstage / $10
While the Black Cat’s main stage combines the big-name acts of the 9:30 club with the dark, intimate vibe of the city’s smaller stages, the Black Cat Backstage may as well be in a different building entirely. Tucked way in the back of the venue behind the Red Room Bar, the Backstage books lesser-known acts and puts them in a space the size of your living room.
Playing their first-ever D.C. show, British band Veronica Falls brings their earnest take on twee pop to the Backstage Feb. 8. Touring with fellow Slumberland labelmates, Brilliant Colors, Veronica Falls is a band you’ll enjoy being three feet away from in a darkened room.
Feb. 11 – Star Slinger @ DC9 / $15
The DC9 stage has been more likely to host a punk or folk act than a DJ in the past, but for the club’s 8th anniversary party Feb. 11, DC9 hosts Star Slinger, the British DJ and producer Darren Williams. Williams is one of the precious few producers today who know how to wield a remi effectively and has infused his stuttering, J Dilla-style production with a bevy of songs by everyone from Blackbird Blackbird and How to Dress Well to Childish Gambino and Rihanna. Come to DC9 to hear (and watch) Williams fuse clips of radio bangers together and stay for his glowing, soulful original beats.
Feb. 16 – Zola Jesus @ U Hall / $15
If thinking about “D.C. clubs” brings to mind freshman year floor outings soundtracked by terrible house remixes, it’s time to visit U Street Music Hall. U Hall may be best known for hosting the District’s DJ royalty, but the U Hall’s recent partnership with the 9:30 club brings acts of a different flavor to the space, from Philly punk veterans like the Dead Milkmen to electro-pop chanteuse Class Actress.
On Feb. 16, U Hall hosts Zola Jesus, the stage name of Russian vocalist Nika Rosa Danilova. Think Florence the Machine, if Florence bleached her hair and dumped her bloated orchestral arrangements for sparse, metallic doom-wave. Both women’s music has the same expansive sound, and U Hall’s killer sound system is ideal for accommodating Danilova’s sweeping, operatic voice. Zola Jesus is far from U Hall’s typical fare of DJ sets, but her gothic take on pop music is an essential for your week of anti-Valentine’s Day festivities.
Feb. 25 — Javelin @ Red Palace / $12
By this point the “Sh*t D.C. Says” video has reached ubiquity on our social networks, and one of the lines that rang truest in the parody video is when the wig-donning dude rebuffs his friend’s invite with the line, “Yeah, but H Street is so hard to get to!” True, it takes a special concert to warrant the cocktail of public transportation or the $20 cab ride needed to get to the venues on H Street, and Javelin at the Red Palace Feb. 25 is one such show.
WVAU brought the Providence electronic band to campus last year for the free Capital Punishment concert series, and Javelin turned the basement of Kay Spiritual Center into a gleefully sweaty dance party. The prospective damage Javelin could inflict on the postcard-sized Red Palace makes for one of the most exciting shows this winter, so pick up one of the $12 tickets and prepare for an evening of tons of dancing and very little dignity.
